Tottenham Hotspur are locked in a battle with fellow Premier League club Aston Villa to secure the services of Sporting Lisbon midfielder Manuel Ugarte, according to the print edition of Portuguese news outlet A Bola (24/5/23).
The report claims that both English clubs are keen to sign the 22-year-old this summer, who has a transfer release clause said to be around £52.2 million and there could be a conclusion to his future next week.
(Photo by Gualter Fatia/Getty Images)
Sporting are said to be looking to recoup the full amount if they are to part with the Uruguayan international, especially given the fact that he has a few years left to run on his existing deal.
Ugarte has made 47 appearances in all competitions so far this season and his current contract is set to expire in the summer of the summer of 2026 (transfermarkt).
He is represented by the Gestifute agency who are headed up by Jorge Mendes and responsible for managing the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Joao Felix and Bernardo Silva.
Our View
Tottenham know all too well just how difficult it can be to try to negotiate with Sporting after they took the talks to sign Pedro Porro down to the wire in the January transfer window.
If they have significant interest in the player, they will know they must meet the transfer release clause or they are simply wasting precious time in a transfer window where they are already behind given the lack of head coach and sporting director.
